1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to exterior vehicle rearview mirrors, and more particularly, to an integrated light-emitting diode (LED) indicator display assembly, such as a turn signal, that displays through the reflective mirrored surface for signaling adjacent vehicles.
2. Description of Related Art
Light-emitting diodes (LED) are commonly found in a variety of automotive lighting applications, from interior illumination to exterior signaling purposes. More recently, LEDs have been incorporated into exterior vehicle rearview mirrors to provide signaling capabilities to adjacent vehicles, as well as to back light various indicia to inform the vehicle driver about a particular condition, such as a proximity detector or like display.
As the brightness of LEDs has increased, it has become important to arrange the LEDs so as to avoid glaring the driver with light emitted from the vehicle's mirrors. The prior art is replete with various light control mechanisms, such as light control films, prisms, and slotted inserts for directing light away from the driver to avoid glare. While some of these applications are effective, they add complexity to the mirror assembly and increase the cost and time of production.
When multiple LEDs are arranged to provide an indicator display such as a turn signal, they are usually attached to silicone circuit board to power the LEDs. Each LED must be individually soldered to the board, which increases the complexity, cost and time of construction. Other LED arrangements which use stamped metal frets also require the LEDs to be individually attached to the fret, making this method equally as expensive and time consuming to manufacture.
Further, because the vehicle mirror assemblies are constantly subject to vibration, LEDs can be jarred loose from the support base. Also, the vibration can also lead to the position of the LEDs shifting, thus causing the light to be redirected in an undesirable direction.
Additionally, in an effort to save costs and reduce construction complexity, LED displays are typically left exposed on the interior of mirror housing. When moisture enters the mirror housing, the exposed components of the LED display are subject to damage and premature failure.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a simple cost effective LED signal display assembly for an exterior vehicle mirror that resolves the problems noted above with the prior art.